Just how cursed are the Marsh Druids? You have to wonder sometimes.
The worst land for growing food (except White Beans), sparse hunting grounds, and unstable foundations for both building houses and practicing magic. That is what summarizes how living in the wetlands is.
And fish.
Fish everywhere, at the very least.
But those are not what I deem to be the worst properties of being a Marsh Druid, no. For me, it is when you finally make up your mind, the gods seem to deal a good hand against you.
It is when you finally gather the courage to stand with those whom you hold dear, they are then taken away from you.
This has been the cause of some of the past Bear Claw Chiefs' demise. 11th Haru Graintan lost his life protecting his daughter (who died also) from a feral Dragon that invaded the forest 200 years ago, 14th Veros Herb fell to his death whilst chasing after a wild Great Armed-Flyer that took his beloved and devoured her at its nest, 23rd Farken Erhonial died in despair whilst searching for his old mother who happened to be skinned by a Skin-Stealer who wandered into the Forest of Spirits, and 31st Verken Herb went to the afterlife after holding the now defeated Feral Ursine horde in the middle of the Bear Claw village after his family died being devoured.
I always thought that these Chiefs were only recipients to the short end of the stick and that they lost their families and loved ones due to circumstance. Now, I'm not so sure.
The worst thing about knowing these histories is that I could be the next one in line now.
Wearing distinct armor made from animal leather and adorned with shoulder and leather pads made of hardened chlorophyte, colored the distinct dark purple and marked in the left side of the chest with a Green Sapling crest. A staff made of what seems to be everwood was slung on his back. On his hands was Fern, who looked pissed. His right arm was a feral glove, of which the claws were aimed at Fern's neck.
Judging by Fern's past descriptions of the chief and protégé, the brown hair, fair skin, golden, calculating eyes, and serious mouth coupled with the distinguishable scar on the left cheek from a Dire Wolf pack encounter said that the one in front of me was him, 44th future Chief of the Green Saplings and student under Garnwud the Strong...
"Garnruth," I said to myself. How he found us, after 10 years of successfully going under the noses of both the Bear Claws and Green Saps, is irrelevant.
What he does after this, it's what can define the future of my tribe and his. And it can be the start of a battle or the postponing of war. Judging by the choices, one can indeed say that animosity only exists between the Marsh and the Forest.
"Hello, Bear Claw," the Druid greeted coldly, "stealing my mate, are we?"
"You know not of that, Green Sap," I said, sitting and closing my eyes. Feeling his familiar Moear's steamy breath and claws on my neck, I find my self in quite a bind.
"Ah, yes, of course," He grimly states. He then eyes Fern, as if choosing were to strike on her body.
He then turns to me.
"You steal her," he said through clenched teeth, "and you do not spare her maiden lips?"
I grimaced. It was taboo, all right. But I... I was caught up in the moment. And with that, clear-headed as I may be thinking of this, can be a reassurance that I can at least bring Fern safely. I mean, she approves of us, clearly. All that's left is...
But yes, essentially I did take her from Garnruth. Even if she first came to me, the facts present still make me think if I am a villain of sorts as I, even though I had the knowledge from what she told me 5 years ago, hadn't exactly taken any action and worse enough, fell for her all the more.
"Do not deny any longer, Bear Claw," Garnruth said, clearly pissed.
I only nodded slowly.
"How long?" He asked Fern, "For how long, Fern?"
Fern stayed silent. And I could feel her eyes on me, waiting for me to say or do something. Anything.
"Say, Garnruth," I started, "have you asked Fern what she really wanted?"
Garnruth stared at me. Then he laughed.
"It doesn't matter, Bear Claw," he answered, Fern still held hostage. He added, now in clenched teeth, "What she wants doesn't matter. She was just held safe by her uncle and by being my betrothed. All she had to do was to obey and be my wife, but no. She went to the other tribe, a Marsh Druid like her father, no less, and betrayed me!"
"No one betrayed you, Garnruth," I said. Not that it made any difference or sense for that matter. The truth is, what he might be saying is true. What a way to regret your choices, Heath.
"She did not even love you in the first place!" I exclaimed. Then stopped myself from saying more.
I then noticed that I seemed to speak out of emotion, which was not a common characteristic of mine. I wanted to speak, not for him, but to convince my conflicted self that what I did was right.
But all the more, I knew that nothing I could say will change anything. And so I resolved to instead shut my mouth, to both listen and distract myself, at the very least, from my thoughts.
"I trusted her! A half-Marsh! Even risked my reputation by asking to marry her! All to protect her for my teacher's sake!"
I could only look away.
Indeed, I was the villain. I stole his fiancé for 10 years, developed feelings for her, and even stole her first, sacred kiss, something that should only be given to the one you are betrothed with.
"And this?! This is what I see? This is what I witness? A Marsh stealing my bride? How dare you!"
I once again answered in silence. Of shame, of guilt? I feel guilty now, of all times? Shouldn't have I felt that instead long ago?
I never really understood the emotions I felt all this time. Maybe I should have just stayed in my tent, studied, upheld my responsibilities, trained for tomorrow, anything to be this, to be here.
"Garnruth, I," Fern said to her captor, "I CAME to him. He didn't---"
It serves me right, to be in this situation.
"Do not speak, woman," he replied to her, "we will talk of this in the village later."
I "stole" Fern, and of course what I get in return is that the one time I actually wanted to do something for myself, to resign to my desire for Fern and my happiness, is actually the last possible time I can actually do so.
But strangely...
I can say, with all my heart and soul...
It was worth it. It was worth all the trouble.
"I...," I started. Wanting to say something. But then in the rising tension, I seemed to forget what it was.
"Enough talk, Marsh Druid," he exclaimed, "it is time we settled this and our tribes' issue with our strength!"
The Moear behind me roared and sure enough, its claw reared back, ready to swipe my head clean.
"Thorn Bind," I casted. And sure enough, the ground around me glowed violet as a magic circle appeared and started to tremble a little.
Before it can touch me, the Moear familiar grunted in confusion as its arm, now bound in my vines of thorns, wouldn't obey it. It struggled in vain, growling in pain as each thorn wounded it every time it moved.
"Walangkeyo," Garnruth called to the Moear, seeing it in pain, "to me!"
The Moear shifted form into a giant Earshot Hawk and freed itself from the vines. It seems like Garnruth has trained his Familiar really well, as having your familiar acquire more than one form is a commendable feat in Forest Druid circles.
The Familiar started to head towards its master, in which they can both probably regroup and attack me together.
Not if I can do something about it.
"Swamp Clasp," I casted.
Two massive claws made of swamp moss and strong thorned vines erupted from the magic circles that formed from my lower back.
Unlike Forest Druids who mainly specialize in buffing and nature magic ideal for one-on-one situations, we Marsh Druids utilize in wide-area attacks and lower body augmentation spells. The power in our abilities rival that of the Mountain Druids, who utilize elemental spirit conjuration and elemental magic in general.
This power, almost raw in nature, and due to the fact that most of the abilities that stem from this power gave us crude body parts like claws and gaping maws made from swamp and/or plant matter, has given us the nickname "Ferals", as we attack without mercy and also with almost no regard to accuracy. Which goes to say that as long as we have wasted our targets before our mana is out, we have done our job.
Opening wide, the claws then lounge at to the Hawk's sides, and both held Familiar's wings, entrapping the beast. I looked at Garnruth, to mentally make him aware of what I was going to do to his precious beast.
His eyes widened in surprise, but he held Fern firmly, and his claws ever closer to her neck.
I followed with my threat and proceeded to tear the wings of the Hawk off. I gambled for him to save his Familiar's life, which in turn could give me the opportunity to save Fern.
Well if he didn't, I might as well enjoy pouring out my frustrations to this beast.
My desperate gamble paid off, and in knowing he could lose his precious beast, he then threw Fern to the ground and rushed to the rescue of his Familiar.
He reached to the staff of everwood on his back, holding it on his left hand. Possibly casting a spell, as I could see its head growing thorns as he closed his distance with me.
"May I be as fast as the Veroen, as like the Ku'wago, I lift my feet for certain, Fleet of Feet," Garnruth casted, magic circles glowing on the soles of his foot wraps. With his body moving faster each step he took towards me, it certainly worked.
Now a few steps in front of me, swung his staff, with the top now filled with thorns. Indeed, this man wants to kill me. Yet I couldn't blame him, given the situation.
But fortunately, I anticipated this to some extent. And the best way to evade a fast attack is to know where it will strike and simply dodge it.
And so I ducked, and much to his dismay, the thorns instead struck his beast's left wing as I tumbled and ran to Fern's side.
"Are you okay?" I asked whilst casting Minor Nature Heal on her.
"A little scratch never hurt anyone," she replied with a pained smile. I was relieved that she still had her ability to joke in the middle of a serious battle like this.
"Hey," Garnruth called to me from his Familiar's side, "you know my name, now that I've noticed it. I'm guessing it was from Fern you knew?"
"Yes," I replied whilst helping Fern stand up.
"Well then, give me your name. It wouldn't be fair if I was the only one left in the dark, would it?"
"Very well. Heath. Heath Erhonial."
"My, my," he replied, "related to the Bear Claw Chief? Of Xanderuth Erhonial?"
I gritted my teeth. He knew my father, which implied that the somewhat he has interacted or at the least met with him. Or he just happened to know the name from someone else.
I struggled to control my thoughts, which was hard as it is, as he was a Green Sap to begin with.
"Do not dare to speak lightly of that name, Sap," I warned him.
"Oh? You tell me that, after you've stolen my betrothed? Do not speak with those lips, Bear Claw," He replied, healing his Familiar also. Chuckling, he added, "Well then, that reply just confirms my question anyways. It would be a pleasure to wound the moral of the Bear Claw chief with the death of a relative, as he himself slowly dies."
I held back the urge to attack first. I knew the standard spells a Forest Druid can cast, as it mostly involves summoning familiars and forest critters to buffing them with nature magic, then finally pummeling the opposition with his enhanced staff. While what I have in my arsenal were the plethora of spells learnt and practiced upon for the last 10 years that focused on spending mana to both debuff and deal area damage, in addition to some minor buff and healing spells.
In short, I can easily lay waste to this man with my area attacks.
But I had no reason to waste my mana on this man, or to his Familiar and future summons. I needed to take him down in one move or I risk running out on attacking his summons.
If only I had a weapon to distribute my mana to, I could have easily one this fight. To make him surrender would have been a victory in of itself.
I cursed myself for forgetting to bring the Bear's Hand with me. Leaving my weapon was a fatal mistake, indeed. But it wasn't one that denied me of any options to fight.
Familiar and master walked in opposite ways, as if to also observe my moves and surround me. It was a common move I've seen Dire Wolves do with the Jumpers; Overwhelm the prey with force and numbers then go for the kill. Usually, the opening in the center was guarded by two members of the packs. But now, it looks like they intentional made it open.
Common sense dictates me to watch out for a trap the moment I ran for the center. And besides, it was not like I could run away forever for this one. Indeed, I was like a trapped Jumper.
But unlike a Jumper, I had magic in my hands. But powerful as I was, I couldn't afford a fight in this clearing, especially the fact that it was within Forest Druid territory. Marsh Druids may be powerful, but we expend mana quickly, and so we have to end our battles as quick as our mana expenditures. Besides that, Forest Druid reinforcements can easily overpower me and Fern in a battle of numbers.
I had to rid myself from these two before they call for their people, which was possible, considering that we were facing the 44th future Chief.
I looked at Fern. And looked behind us, the cliff.
Perfect.
"Fern," I whispered, "call your Familiar."
Fern nodded.
Fern, as she grew up with the Green Saps, had learned some Forest Druid magic. While she does have an affinity for Forest Druid abilities, her Marsh Druid side was also honed by training with me. And it prevented her from having a spirit Familiar. In short, Fern was a little bit more of a Marsh Druid in raw magical prowess that had Forest Druid buffing abilities.
When I first saw her train, I was amazed at how powerful her buffing spells can be. With her Marsh heritage, her spells had double the effect. But it ended there, as seemingly her mixed blood nullified her ability to utilize offensive spells from both Marsh and Forest circles.
And that's all the more reason why I'm glad she was with me.
She whistled in the air. And then knelt down, as if to feel for something in the air.
"Hayako's coming," she whispered to me.
I was not surprised on the lack of magic circles. Her Familiar was a unique one, as it wasn't your usual summoned forest spirit.
Her so-called Familiar was a baby Aves Dracuni, also known as the rare Feathered Sky Dragon, that we found in a snowy trip 8 years ago, it was a hatchling since then, seemed to have flown far away from its brood, and as a result, was freezing in the winter. Due to her inability to summon forest spirits, she took in the Dragon and named it Hayako "because it sounds fast".
Amazingly, her uncle Garnwud, muscle-head as he was, was soft enough on agreeing to her request to take care of it.
"Fern," I said as I eyed both Garnruth and Walangkeyo slowly making their way closer to flank us, "remember that one time you casted a strength buff that was so potent, I had to slice a whole acre of trees just for it to wear off?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Cast it again."
She stared at me for a moment. Most probably looking if I had a plan.
"Not a bad idea, I say," she finally whispered back, "but to whom?"
I had kept an eye on Garnruth and co's movements, therefore not answering Fern's question. She will now soon enough anyway.
A screech echoes through the air. And sure enough, our ride was here.
"At the count of three, we run for the cliff."
I could feel Fern's wide-eyed stare at me. Yes, to answer her unasked question, I was serious.
"One."
But sure enough, she turned to the cliff, readying herself to run as fast as she can. I was glad she trusted me enough to actually go with my crazy plan that, if gone wrong, would result in our deaths.
"You wouldn't!"
Garnruth had a keen eye.
"Two."
The flutter of wings can be heard in the distance. It was getting closer. I began to think of how to lose Garnruth or his Familiar if they chose to follow us through the air, but for once, I chose to hope that Hayako lives up on her namesake.
The change of the direction of the air that flowed through the cliff signaled that it was time. And so I too readied myself to run fast as I could and prayed that I indeed had the courage for a leap of fate.
"Three! Now, Fern!"
I grabbed her hand and ran straight for the cliff with all our might.
And then we jumped.
We soared through, with the air from the freefall seeping through my robes. I hoped something would grab me, pluck me out of the sky before I meet the ground with a bloody kiss. Fern and I both.
Sure enough something grabbed my back, yanking me from the fall.
Looking up, the familiar face that had a bird-like beak, feathers, and adorned with 4 dragon horns look down on me. Thankfully, to my side was Fern, also caught by the robe and still covering her eyes. Her fear of heights was as strong as ever.
"You always deliver, Hayako," I praised the dragon that seemed to purr in response.
A Hawk's screech broke my brief dive into serenity. Garnruth was on top of us, now riding his Hawk Familiar. What's worse is that the Hayako's sharp talons was starting to tear through our robes. We may be falling to our deaths again sooner than expected.
"Fern, that buff I mentioned earlier," I exclaimed to her in the air.
"Eh?! You want to cast on our robes?"
"No, to Hayako!"
"I do--," she stuttered. Trying to think. But realizing the situation we we're in, she was forced to trust me yet again, "You better know what you're doing!"
I nodded.
Her hands glowed as she casted the buff.
"Greater Strength!"
"Hayako, throw us to your back!" I commanded to her.
Hayako screeched in reply. And sure enough, with the newfound strength she had, Hayako heaved us in the air and caught us with her back.
She caught us too well.
Now, Fern and I were stacked. And of all the ways we could have been thrown by this overgrown lizard-bird, I was thrown head-first into Fern's chest.
Even in the middle of this tense and possibily life-threatening situation, my head was rushing with so much thoughts, most of which had the nerve to say that this was a blessing in disguise. "I mean, if it wasn't for everything that happened until now and the fact that it was prohibited in our culture, I'd be enjoying myself now," my head seemed to shout.
Shame on you, Heath. You man-child.
"Soooo," Fern said, her eyes shut and hands clinging on mine, "whoooo should move first?"
Flustered and obviously red, I found myself unable to mutter a single word, I turned away from the two mountains in front of me. I then motioned for her to move to the front.
She barely moved.
I looked down. Biggest mistake of my life.
"Oy, Hea," she said. I looked up to her face, "where do you think you're looking at?"
A Hawk's cry can be heard in the distance.
"J-j-j-just m-move!" I exclaimed, closing my eyes and looking away.
"You i-i-indecent bunch!" An angered voice called to us through the air.
I looked at the source of the voice, and there was Garnruth, as red as I was, riding his Hawk. I couldn't help but smile smugly for some reason. It felt good to piss off a Green Sap. But felt reddish again in realizing what pissed him off.
Fern started to move, appearing to now realizing the urgency of the situation, starting with her legs.
And then I felt pain.
"F-Fern," I said in shock, as I felt my... intimate area... being engulfed by a pain that can only be felt by fellow members of the male species.
"Oops," came the obviously remorseless reply.
This woman... But I suppose this was payback for what transpired a while ago.
Fern made her way to Hayako's feathery neck and hugged tight. I was a bit worried that that might have suffocated the Dragon. But it appears that Hayako was fine.
"Good giiirl," Fern complimented the Dragon, who "purred" in response.
"I hate to interrupt the joyful reunion," I said, "but we have a Hawk to lose."
"Hayako, land in that clearing," I said, pointing to a grassy patch in the middle of the forest, "we'll lose Garnruth there. Hopefully."
Hayako screeched in response, flying faster with her newfound strength.
I tapped Fern in the back.
"I'm... I'm sorry."
Fern turned to me and smiled apologetically.
"No, it was my fault to begin with."
"Well that doesn't make the burden lighter, does it?" I said, trying to make the mood light.
"'Two hands make light work,' as an elder in my village used to say," Fern said while smiling. I looked away again. With the things that transpired, a war was certain. The only thing that wasn't was who will begin it. People from her and my village will die, that enough was inevitable.
She once again reached out to my face.
"Hea, I know this will be too much to ask but," she looked away and stared at the stars as we moved through the night sky, facing me she said, "...please. Find a way to fix the problems between our circles. Find a way to heal the ancient, wide rift between the Forest and the Marsh."
I, either of emotion or of determination, looked into her eyes, and reached out my hand to her cheek.
"I will."
She then once again thrust her lips to mine. Once again, I was back to the euphoria I felt on the cliff. I was back to wishing that the moment was to last an eternity.
But as always, it was not so.
Hayako landed in the clearing, crawling into the nearby trees for cover. Even an Earshot Hawk's sharp eyes won't be able to pierce through the thick cover of the forest canopy.
Fern pulled herself away.
"Get go, Hea," she said.
She was right. She knew I picked this clearing to get to the wetlands faster.
"How about you?" I asked, out of concern. Surely the Green Saps will not let her go lightly.
"I'll find a way," she said, with sureness and determination in her eyes. "Now go."
"Take care of her, Hayako," I said to the Dragon, who purred and nodded in agreement.
"Fleet of Feet," I casted.
I waited for the glow of the magic circles that would accompany the activation of the spell.
But no magic circles came out.
"Fleet of Feet," I casted again, staring at my feet.
Still nothing.
Nullification magic?
Maybe Fern could help me, hers is potent after---
Fern and Hayako were gone from my side. It was impossible, Hayako was not that fast.
I stood on guard, anticipating an attack.
But nothing came.
And it seemed that... The world seemed to rise from my field of view. I looked around, the trees seemed to be engulfed in a slimy black substance.
What in the world?
I looked down to my feet. And found the horrifying reason as to why the phenomenon was happening.
I was sinking, now hip-deep, into what seemed to be the same black slime that was now engulfing the entire world around me.
What is happening?!
No, Fern... My promise... Father... My tribe... I need to live!
I struggled against the black slime, trying to dig my way out.
In what seemed like an eternity, my muscles ached from the struggle.
But it was for nothing.
I sank lower and lower into the muck.
My Father's, Fern's, my family's faces all seemed to swarm into my mind.
So...
This is what hopelessness feels like.
I close my eyes in surrender to the unknown force that now engulfed me entirely.
Father, mother, Fern... I'm sorry.
-------------
Heath woke up with a start to a distant voice that called him.
"Hea!"
Funny, he thought, I must have blacked out from being engulfed by that black substance.
"Hea!"
That voice... Is it someone I knew? No it... sounds different... More... Elegant in nature...
Heath struggled to organize his thoughts. Finally, he was pulled back to his reality.
Voices echoing around him, along with the voice that called him back.
"Hea!"
Heath slowly opened his eyes.
Before him knelt a woman with a fair complexion, golden eyes that had some sort of covering on them, accompanied by long ears, and a long braid for hair. She wore clothing that seemed to be made of... something. Heath struggled to make sense of what she wore.
"Hea!" She screamed, almost pleading at the top of her lungs.
"Nothing good will come by screaming at him, Yuno," a child-like but masculine voice said.
Heath now fully opened his eyes.
Upon seeing this, the woman with long ears immediately lounged at him and embraced him tightly.
"Hea!" She said once again. Heath could feel her tears dropping to his clothes, wetting them.
Heath looked around to regain his bearings.
A woman clad in armor swung her massive sword, fighting something that somewhat resembled a cross between a human female and a reptilian leg-less crawler.
"Are you okay, Heath?" a man's elderly voice to his side asked.
Heath looked at him in surprise.
The man was in fact, not fully man, but one that had reptilian features and was wearing a strange red plated armor.
"Wh-where am... I?" Heath asked in surprise.
The woman move his vision towards her, her eyes and nose red from crying.
"Y-you don't remember anything?" She asked, as if expecting him to remember what has happened.
Heath wished he knew. Vague memories came back to him.
That's right...
One moment he felt like something was chasing him and someone he knew, then he made a promise, about what he didn't remember, then next he was yanked out of that reality by a force that resembled black goo. So far, his memories were a mess.
"That Lamia really did a number in his head," a green-haired woman wielding daggers that suddenly appeared near the lizard-man said.
"Is he suited for combat or not?" A gruff, elder sounding voice asked.
The green-haired woman walked towards him.
She knelt down in from of him, suddenly looked closely to his eyes, seemingly examining them.
Her face, for a split-second, resembled something akin to a person he felt he once knew. Her hair turned red, her blue eyes turned green, he didn't remember why but he felt like he knew who that split-second person was.
And just like that, the blue-eyed lady retracted from his face.
"As I thought," she turned to the yellow-haired, long-eared lady, "seems his memory was wiped clean for a bit there."
Heath had so many questions.
"Tell the party to pull back," the long-eared woman ordered, "We'll have to withdraw from the 45th Floor for a while."
45th floor? Party? Heath thought
"Foronard," she said to the lizard-man, "please carry Heath for a while."
"Of course."
He walks toward Heath and heaves him in his arms.
Heath had the feeling that he also knew these people. But their names, their faces, were all a blur to his head. It was overwhelming.
He turned towards the long-eared woman, who was now relaying her orders to the people who now defeated the half-snake, half-woman creature and were dragging it's carcass.
As all these were happening around him, Heath now had the composure to think for himself. His questions would be answered soon enough and so, he put them aside as he felt the lizard-man carry him.
But he couldn't put one particular question away though.
It was gnawing at him, calling out from his subconscious. And so, he decided that now would have to be the time to ask the lizard-man.
Insane as he would seem, his curiosity will have to be satisfied.
"Uhm," Heath started.
The Lizard-man man turned to him.
"Yes, my friend?"
Heath knew it, this man knew the answer to his question. The only thing missing would be to ask it.
And so he did.
With outmost sincerity, hoping he would not seem crazy or insane that they would leave him in this dark place, he asked:
"Who am I?"
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